Tribes upset over review of Bears Ears monument designation

The April 26 announcement of President Donald Trump to review existing monument designations, especially Bears Ears National Monument, drew quick opposition from tribes in the Southwest. Careton Bowekaty, Zuni councilman and co-chair for the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition, said it is extremely troubling that after years of effort to protect ancestral Native lands, Trump and Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke plan to give a cursory look at Bears Ears National Monument. “For the first time in history, five sovereign Nations came together to advocate for Bears Ears National Monumnet in order to protect this landscape that carries deep meaning for our people,” Bowekaty said. “This so-called ‘review’ creates a process to attack the designation of Bears Ears National Monument, and all public lands that are cherished by the American people.” Navajo Nation Council Delegate Davis Filfred (Mexican Water, Aneth, Teecnospos, Tółikan, Red Mesa), who serves as a commissioner on the Bears Ears Tribal Commission, said the action by Trump threatens the status of the monument designation supported by numerous tribes in the Southwest. “We are asking the Trump administration and Secretary Ryan Zinke to respect the position of the tribes, including the Navajo Nation, by upholding the national monument designation of Bears Ears and we ask that they consult with us and address the concerns of the Bears Ears Tribal Commission as this issue moves forward,” Filfred said...more